Driving-gear for motor-vehicles.



No. 703,881. Patented Iuly l, |902.

E. E. WRIGHT.

DRIVING GEAR FDR MUTOR VEHICLES.

(Application led Sept. 26, 1901.)

(lo Model.)

cmrLPrHc44 WASHINGTON n c 'UNITED STATES PATENT Prion..

EARL E.r VRIGHT, OF ROCHESTER, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TOHPHILLIP LEE, OF ROCHESTER, `PENNSYLVANIA.

DRIVING-GEAR FoR MoTo'Rd/HICLES.

SPECIFICATION forming' part of Letters Patent No; 703,881 dated July 1, 1902. Application inea september 26,1901. semina 76,601. (Nomgdei.)

ToraZZ'zcv/om it may concern:

Be itknownlthpat I, EARL E. IVRIGHT, a citizen of the United States,residing at Rochester, in the county of Beaver and State of Penn- `Sylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Driving-Gear for Motor- Vehicles, of which the following is a specification,:reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this 1o specification, in which- Figure 1 is a View in side elevation 4of vmy improvedfront-axle-drivinggear, showing the vconnection thereto from the motor sprocketwheel. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the front running and driving gear. Fig. 3 is a plan view of Fig. l, partially in section, as indicated by the line III III of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a detail view, in side elevation, of the pivoted wheel-supporting bracket. Fig. 5 is an end zo view thereof. Fig. 6 is a detail View, in front elevation, of the main supporting-framework. My invention relates to improvements in motor-vehicles; and it consists in the means for imparting driving motion tothe front axle,

2 5 so as to propel the vehicle by traction, whereby motion may be transmitted from a rigid axle through-universal gearing to the wheels Sat' Whatever angle they 'may be located.

Referringnow to the drawings, 2V is thel front 3c axle or shaft of a vehicle, mounted in bearings 3 of the main frame 4, upon which is supported in any suitable or desired manner the forward portion of the vehicle-body. (Not shown.)

The frame 4 is provided at each end,above and below the axle-bearing 3, with brackets 5, terminatinginbearings 6 above and below, in

which is mounted the pivotal spindle or shaft 7, carrying the intervening bevelwheel S.

Upon the spindle or shaft 7 is pivot-ally mount- 4o ed at each end by bearings 9 the upper and lower ends of 4bracket 10, the middle portion of which is'in alinement-.with the axle 2 and is provided-with aboss 1l, in which is mounted the axle'or skein 12, carrying the wheel 13.

Upon each-outer end of the axle 2 is mounted a driving bevel-wheel 14, the bracket 5 having an upwardly-extending bea-ring 15,' in

` which the end of the axle is supported beyond such bevel-wheel. The bevel 14 meshes into 5o bevel 8, mounted upon spindle 7, which bevel S likewise meshes into another bevel-wheel suitable or preferred manner.

A represents the driving-pinion of the motor of the vehiclegvhich may be utilized to drive the front axle alone or both front or back, and when theapparatus is designed to be used as an auxiliary to a back-axle-driven vehicle it becomes necessary to use the intermediate-driven sprocket-wheel 20, geared by 7o chain 2l, and the driving-pinion 22, meshing into drivenpinion 23, mounted upon the axle 2, which axle must rotate backwardly in order to transmit forward motion to the traction-wheels through the bevel-gearing. When, however, it is desired to gear direct to the front axle, the driving-pinions 22 and 23 may be dispensed with, sprocket-wheel 20 being mounted on, and the motor geared direct to, the front axle, the motor in such case 8o being reversed.

While I have described the construction and inode of operation at one end only of the shaft 2, it will be understood that, as shown in the drawings, this construction is in duplicate at each end and corresponds in construction and mode of operation in all respects.

It will be understood that the frame 4 may be designed for such alternative driving ar- 9o rangement or may be made in any other suitable or desired man ner, according to the proskilled mechanic without departing from my invention, since I do not desire to be limited to the exact construction shown and described, but to include all such changes and variations as Within the scope of the follow! ing claims.

What I claim isl. In driving mechanism for motor-vehi cles, the combination of a main framework, a rotatable shaft mounted in bearings therein provided With bevel-wheels at each end, traction-wheel bracket-bearings pivotally1nounted in each outer end of the framework provided With clearance openings, tractionwheels rotatably mounted on said bearings provided with bevel-wheels, pivotal shafts connecting the traction-wheel bracket-bearings with the main frame and carrying bevel- Wheels intermeshing with the driving and driven bevel-wheels and extending through said clearance-openings,with means for transmitting motion to the main shaft.

2. In driving mechanism for motor-vehicles, the combination of a main framework, a rotatable shaft mounted in bearings therein provided with bevel-wheels at each end, supplemental shaft-bearings outside of the driving-bevels, traction-wheel bracket-bearings pivotally mounted in each outer end of the framework provided With clearance openings, traction-wheels mounted thereon provided with bevel-wheels,` pivotal shafts connecting the traction-wheel bracket-bearings, with the main frame and carrying bevelwheels intermeshing with the driving and driven bevel-wheels and extending through said clearance-openings, with means for transmitting motion to the main shaft.

In driving mechanism for motor-Vehicles', the combination of a main framework, a rotatable shaft mounted in bearings therein provided with bevel-wheels at each end, traction-wheel bracket-bearings pivotally mounted in'each outer end of the framework provided with clearance-openings, and having extended steering-arms with steering mechanism connected thereto, traction-wheels rotatably mounted von said brackets provided with bevel-wheels, pivotal shafts connecting the traction-wheel bracket-bearings with the main frame and carrying bevel-wheels intermeshing with the driving and driven bevel- Wheels and extending through said clearanceopenings, with means for transmitting motion to the main shaft.

In testimony whereof I afx my signaturev NVitnesses:

- C. E. COLEMAN,

J. W. WAHL. 

